Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

CDC Foundation; Hartford (CT); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

The CDC Foundation is seeking a Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to support the Connecticut Department of Social Services in Hartford. The role focuses on developing evaluation plans, conducting data collection and reporting, and ensuring projects align with RHTP goals.

Cross-team liaison activities and statewide coordination are expected. Responsibilities include leading monitoring efforts, designing instruments, and performing analyses to measure outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master degree in Public Health, Program Evaluation, Health Informatics, Public Policy, Social Work, or related field.
• 4–6 years of direct experience designing, managing, and executing program evaluations and related initiatives.
• Knowledge of monitoring/evaluation frameworks, mixed-methods research, survey development, and health equity concepts.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement evaluation plans, logic models, and performance frameworks.
• Lead project/program monitoring efforts.
• Support data collection instruments, surveys, and evaluation protocols.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess program performance.
• Prepare briefings and evaluation reports for leadership.
• Lead quality improvement discussions to support data-driven decisions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure compliant data collection and reporting.

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Data analysis

Mixed-methods research

Survey development

Health equity frameworks

Project monitoring

Education

Master degree in Public Health

PMP certification (preferred)

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Advanced Excel

EHR systems

Job description

Position Title:

Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Salary:

$80,000 (plus benefits)

Position End Date:

through July 31, 2027, with possibility of extension

Location:

State of Connecticut Department of Social Services - Hartford, CT

Overview:

The CDC Foundation is a Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists to support the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). One position will report to the Deputy Director of Projects, and the other to the Deputy Director of Operations within the Division of Rural Health Transformation in the DSS Commissioner’s Office.

Each Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will support either Department-led RHTP projects or sister-agency-led RHTP projects. Responsibilities include conducting data collection, analysis, and reporting to ensure projects are evidence-based and aligned with RHTP goals. In addition, the Specialists will serve as liaisons to the broader evaluation team, coordinating communication and contributing to cross-project evaluation activities.

This position is currently a hybrid position. This role may require statewide travel.

Required Qualifications:

• Master degree in Public Health (MPH), Program Evaluation, Health Informatics, Public Policy, Social Work, or a related field.
• 4–6 years of direct experience with designing, managing, and executing program evaluations, quality improvement initiatives, evaluation strategies, and/or applied research projects.
• Knowledge of program/project monitoring, evaluation frameworks, mixed-methods research design, survey development, and community-engaged or health equity frameworks.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience building interactive performance dashboards and visual reports using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or advanced Excel (including pivot tables and macros).
• Certified in Project Management (PMP) credential.
• Prior experience managing evaluation metrics and reporting compliance for large federal (e.g., CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA) or state-funded grant initiatives.
• Experience in multi-site evaluations or community-based research.
• Experience querying large enterprise health systems, administrative databases, or electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement evaluation plans, logic models, and performance frameworks.
• Lead project/program monitoring efforts.
• Support the development of quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments, surveys, and evaluation protocols to measure program outputs, health/social outcomes, and long-term impacts.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess program performance.
• Prepare briefings and evaluation reports for leadership
• Lead quality improvement discussions to support data-driven decisions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary project managers, clinical advisors, community health partners, and federal/state grant officers to ensure data collection methods respect participant context and meet stakeholder reporting standards
• Ensure adherence with data governance standards, privacy requirements, and grant-funded evaluation deliverables.

Special Notes:

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and the Connecticut Department of Social Services in order to best support the state of Connecticut in their public health programming.

This position is currently a hybrid position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.

The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.

Relocation expenses are not included.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1 billion and launched more than 1,000 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, and to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org.

About the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services:

The State of Connecticut, Department of Social Services (DSS), has a mission that we, along with our partners, provide person-centered programs and services to enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities. DSS delivers and funds a wide range of programs and services as Connecticut’s multi-faceted health and human services agency. DSS services about 1 million residents of all ages in all169 Connecticut cities and towns. We support the basic needs of children, families, older and other adults, including persons with disabilities. Services are delivered through 12 field offices, central administration, online and phone access options.

DSS is the overall lead agency for Connecticut’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which is anticipated to be at least $100 million per year for five years for Connecticut (first year grant award was approximately $154 million). CT's RHTP grant includes thirty projects, each of which is assigned to one of 10 state agencies to implement, including eight projects assigned to DSS.